Broken
by Rowan and Sakura
Summary: Honda likes Yami but never has the chance to tell him. Could a motorcycle ride change that? Or will Seto have something to say to ruin Honda's day? god that rhymed...ugh.


This is part of 100themes at LJ. I have a pairing (actually a triangle) and I use each theme to write a story or make some art. Has to have romance and the story has to center around the pair. This is my first on a long road of these things. My triangle? SetoxHirotoxYami go me. Do I own them? Not a chance. Please enjoy...

_Broken_

038: Shell

Honda went out of his way not to be obvious about his attraction for the spirit of the puzzle, but, as love goes, it was not easy. Honda was just glad that Yami was constantly distracted by dueling, Jounouchi, Yuugi, and Anzu. It became easy for Honda to fade into the background.

That is, until one day there were no tournaments, Anzu had a dance class, Jou was visiting his sister and Yuugi decided to let Yami wander Domino on his own. It was that day Yami asked Honda about his bike.

Honda was cruising down the street past the bank when he screeched to a halt, the car in front of him stopping suddenly in front of him. Leaning to the side, Honda craned his neck to see what the problem was. It happened to be a pharaoh who lost his way…in the middle of the street. Honda maneuvered his motorcycle onto the sidewalk and came to Yami's rescue.

"Yami, what are you doing here?" Honda asked as he gracefully pulled to a stop next to the dazed spirit.

Yami turned a relieved face to Honda, the usual smirk on his face as he recognized his friend. "Yuugi told me to go for a walk," he explained.

"Well, Yami, that's great! But next time, don't stop in the middle of the street, okay?" Honda said. "It's very dangerous and not all people will stop for you." And if anything happened to you…Honda refrained from completing that thought.

It seemed Yami only then recognized his surroundings and he laughed softly. "Thank you for the tip, Honda."

Honda did not want to leave Yami there, but at the same time, he felt his heart begin to beat faster. Being alone with Yami did that to him. "Say, Yami," Honda had to swallow hard to get all the words out, "do you want me to give you a lift?"

Yami surveyed the motorcycle and the helmet Honda felt too confident to wear. He then shrugged. "Sounds fun, Honda. I've always wanted to ride one of these." As Honda handed Yami the helmet- Yami's head was much more precious than his own, so he felt no regret not wearing it himself- Yami turned to Honda and asked, "What is this again?"

Honda smiled as Yami slipped the helmet over his spiky hair, the gold spikes sticking out like a crown. "It's a motorcycle, and this one is my baby." Honda stroked the handlebars with love. "She's never failed me."

Honda felt a pleasant tickle shiver up his spine as Yami sat down behind him and gripped his shoulders. "That's good to know," Yami said into his ear. Honda grinned like a fool, then released the clutch and sped down the street.

Neither of them noticed nor heard the commotion of cars they left behind in their dust. Yami was oblivious and Honda couldn't care.

--

Two hours later and half of Domino away, Honda wished he had not so foolishly boasted about his baby's loyalty as she sputtered into an isolated gas station far away from the game shop and a decent payphone. As Yami and Honda slid off the bike, she gave one last wheeze then died. Honda cursed.

"Damn motor!" he yelled, kicking the ground in frustration. "Of all the days for it to die!"

"Say, Honda? What does that mean?" Yami was pointing to the sign above the gas meter, a simple yellow shell outlined in red.

"Oh, you mean the shell? That's the gas company. Why?"

Yami shrugged. "I was just wondering." Yami turned to the motorcycle leaning against the pump. "Is there anything I can do, Honda?"

Honda shook his head, but he was looking out towards the empty road in front of them, distracted as he tried to think of something to do. This was not what he wanted, not when he was with Yami. How embarrassing.

As things go, when things are bad they always get worse; so it was now with Honda, though he could never have imagined how bad the situation wasn't already. At that moment, a sleek limousine appeared out of nowhere and pulled into the gas station. Honda and Yami watched with curiosity when the back door window rolled down and they saw Seto Kaiba.

Honda paled. It had been awhile since the last time he had seen or spoken to the Kaiba; they had dated for a few months only to break up over Honda's "choice of friends"- particularly Jounouchi and Kaiba's perpetual rival Yuugi. It had not ended well, especially since Honda still harbored feelings for the man which he continually insisted on denying to himself. Things could not go well now.

Seto surveyed the stranded boys, then turned an uncouth eye to the motorcycle sorrowfully out of commission. "Hello, Hiroto," Seto said, addressing the boy not unkindly. "Having trouble?"

Honda was not so easily won over. "No, thank you, Kaiba. Yami and I are just taking a break; everything's fine."

Seto turned to Yami, a small sneer on his face. "Yuugi," he nodded coolly, then turning immediately back to Honda. "Your bike seems to disagree with you Hiroto. You sure you're not just avoiding asking my help?"

"Why would I go through so much trouble, Kaiba?" Honda put specific emphasis on Seto's last name. "I may have had a little trouble with my motorcycle, but it's nothing I can't handle."

Seto sighed at his ex-boyfriend's stubbornness. "Hiroto, it'll be no trouble on my part to have your bike fixed." Seto was modest enough to glance down at the ground, but it did not last long, looking fiercely back at Honda. "Just because I broke your heart doesn't mean you should be too proud to accept my help."

Honda turned away from Seto. "Your money does not impress me, Kaiba; it never did."

"I know, Hiroto." Seto sighed. "Look, I can't just leave you here."

Honda turned and frowned at the man sitting comfortably in his limousine. "Don't tell me your conscience protests against leaving me here?" he scoffed. "Or do you own Shell now and you can't leave me here for fear something would happen and I could sue you?" he continued sarcastically. Yami, from behind the conversation and his friend, listened in amazement to the resentment and sarcasm in Honda's voice. He, wisely, did not interfere.

"Very funny," Seto deadpanned, then, in an move that surprised Yami, he stepped out of the limousine and approached Honda. "You know that's not why."

"You have so much confidence in my intelligence _now_," Honda spat bitterly. "But I'm afraid all those speeches of doubt and mistrust in my judgment you had me suffer through those three agonizing months have made me less confident than you. So enlighten me; what is it I'm supposed to know?"

Seto sighed, then placed a gentle hand on Honda's shoulder. "I can't just leave you here because…I love you, Hiroto."

Honda shoved the hand off his shoulder in contempt. "You didn't show it!"

Seto's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you mean all those nights I invited you into my bed wasn't showing you? The tender kisses, the gentle caresses- I'm sure they displayed just how much I hated you!"

Honda was appearing just as flustered and upset as the man in front of him. "Sex does not always mean love, Seto! I told you, if you wanted to back up your words than leave my friends alone!"

"I did, Hiroto, and you know that! I refrained from addressing Jounouchi as a 'mutt', I didn't challenge Yuugi to duels! What else did you want me to do?"

"But you asked me to give them up! You said I had to choose; it was you or them. And I chose them. What other choice did I have?"

"Then you obviously didn't love me enough Hiroto." Seto stared him in his eyes.

Honda nodded. "Sometimes there are more important things in life than stupid, stuck-up boyfriends." Honda's eyes flickered to Yami.

Seto stepped back and glowered. "I see," he said. "Is it because you loved someone else already? That's why you chose the mutt, why you chose all those fools. You're in love with him!" Seto pointed an accusing finger at Yami.

Honda paled while Yami laughed. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to put an end to the insanity, the spirit spoke at last. "Look, I'm not sure what happened between the two of you but the fact remains that the motorcycle is not working and Kaiba is the only one around who can help us. So let's just swallow our pride, Honda, and accept his help, okay?"

Honda sighed. "Oh, I suppose."

Seto smirked in triumph.

---

They had decided to drop the motorcycle at Seto's place so he could arrange for its repair or replacement. Honda grudgingly allowed Yami to make the compromises, refusing to look at or talk to Seto the entire way back to town. After it was settled where the bike would go, Honda announced that he would be getting off at the game shop with Yami, as the store was closer than his home. Seto narrowed his eyes when his boyfriend- ex- boyfriend, he reminded himself- said this, knowing Honda did not want to be alone with the millionaire.

"Thank you for the lift, Kaiba," Yami said as he and Honda stepped out of the limousine.

Seto grunted in response, then slammed the back door shut. The limo took off down the street.

Yami shrugged. Kaiba was always anti-social, so his gruff and sullen manner came as no surprise or offense to him. Turning to Honda, who stood beside him on the sidewalk, Yami smiled. "Well, I had fun today Honda."

Honda looked up, his eyes wide. "Really?" he asked.

Yami nodded. "Sure. It was different. I'd never ridden a motorcycle before."

"I'm sorry it broke down."

Yami padded Honda lightly on his back. "Don't worry about it. Everything turned out all right, so don't sweat it."

Honda seemed to loosen up at the words, or it might have been the presence of Yami's hand on his back. "Sorry Kaiba had to be such a prick though."

"Don't apologize for him; he's always like that," Yami said.

"Yeah, I know." Honda rolled his eyes. "So, forget everything you heard?"

"Already forgotten."

Honda nodded. "Cool."

_End_

That was crap and I know it. Oh well, I got "Shell" in there, and since this is my first one, I know they'll get better over time. I hated the ending though. Ugh. Somebody boost my spirits and tell me it was half-way decent.


End file.
